Nissan Recalls Five Models Over Faulty Airbags

Nissan is recalling five models from the 2013 year, including the Altima and Sentra, over faulty airbags. In a filing with US regulators, the automaker explained the front passenger airbag may not deploy in a crash.

All five models involved in the recall are the Nissan Altima, Sentra, Pathfinder, and Leaf, as well as the Infiniti JX35.

Nissan has not named the amount of vehicles that will be involved in the recall or what time period they were manufactured in. The recall only affects the five models sold in the United States. It is not yet clear if the same vehicles will also be recalled in other countries.

Nissan decided the recall was necessary on February 21 after the automaker noticed an increasing number of warranty claims regarding airbags in the 2013 models. The vehicles’ owners reported that their airbag detection warning light was going off, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The NHTSA stated that the sensors that determine whether a person is sitting in the passenger seat or not may not be working properly. It is possible that the sensor may not detect a rider. If a crash occurs and the person is not detected, the airbag will not deploy. Nissan spokesman Dan Passe stated that there are no reports of injuries or crashes as a result of the issue.

Along with Nissan’s recall for airbag issues, the company is also recalling 482 Sentras in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico that were manufactured between September 11 and October 4 of 2012. The vehicles’ fuel tanks were not sealed properly. The flaw could cause gasoline to leak when the tank is filled. There have been no crashed or injuries because of the gas tank issue.

While it is not yet clear how many cars are affected by Nissan’s recall for airbag problems, the company will begin notifying owners involved next month. The number of recalled cars will likely be high. Nissan has already sold more than 49,000 Altimas in the first two months of 2013.